The occurrence of a stressful event is considered to increase the risk of developing depression. In the present study we explore whether the breakup of a romantic relationship can be used as an experimental model to study a depression-like state during a period of stress in individuals without a psychiatric disorder. The primary aim of our study was to investigate: 1) whether individuals with a recent romantic relationship breakup (‘‘heartbreak”) demonstrate symptoms of depression, 2) how to describe heartbreak characteristics based on data from a comprehensive questionnaire battery, and 3) whether this description can capture severity of depression symptoms. Secondary, we were interested in gender differences with regard to the above study objectives. Subjects who have experienced a relationship breakup in the preceding six months (N = 71) or are in a romantic relationship (N = 46) participated in our study. A questionnaire battery was administered to acquire information related to depression, mood, the breakup and (former) relationship. Principal Component Analysis with Procrustes bootstrapping was performed to extract components from the questionnaire data. Even though our sample of individuals who recently have experienced a relationship breakup can be on average considered non-depressed, group-level depression scores were elevated compared to individuals in a relationship (p = .001) and 26.8% reported symptoms corresponding to mild, moderate or severe depression. We described heartbreak by two principal components interpreted as ‘‘sudden loss” and ‘‘lack of positive affect”, respectively. Highly significant correlations between the component scores and depression scores were found (p < .001 and p < .001, respectively), although these correlations differed between the genders. Based on these findings, we propose that the experience of a romantic relationship breakup is a viable experimental model to examine symptoms of depression in individuals without a psychiatric disorder. This way, stress-related coping and depression vulnerability can be studied in further research.
Citation: Verhallen Was, Renken RJ, ) Partnership separation: An experimental design to study results of strain on depression (-like) episodes. PLoS One 14(5): e0217320.
Romantic relationship separation: An experimental design to review ramifications of stress on depression (-like) periods
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Study Access: The knowledge are not held at a public repository owed so you’re able to limitations about advised concur (sufferers have not considering say yes to provides the investigation in public places kept) and you will European study confidentiality guidelines (GDPR). The content arrive towards demand. A data access panel might have been applied, including Prof Grams.J. ter Horst (Dominating Investigator of one’s analysis), J.B.C. Marsman and you may Prof A. Aleman (lead of the Cognitive Neuroscience Center), who’ll comment requests and you can to make certain entry to of research. That it availableness committee is achieved via
Funding: The analysis is actually funded by the a contribution out-of Mr Hazewinkel so you can the research University out of Behavioural and Intellectual Neurosciences and you can Prof G.J. ter Horst. Mr Hazewinkel didn’t come with character in the studies construction, study collection and you will analysis, choice to create, or preparation of manuscript.
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Stressful lifestyle-situations are thought becoming exposure factors on growth of anxiety. Kendler et al. investigated new interplay anywhere between exhausting incidents, hereditary predisposition and anxiety certainly females twins and found you to definitely each other heredity and you may thickness out-of exhausting situations contributed to brand new start of depressive periods separately. Particularly incidents with high impact, including loss of a virtually family member and you can breakup, elevated the possibilities of development an excellent depressive episode, although the almost all people do not generate a depressive event following the experience of an upsetting enjoy. Which, look centering on tiring and you can emotionally upsetting events will offer valuable knowledge to your personal variations regarding fret-related coping therefore the results of https://datingranking.net/sugar-daddies-usa/oh/columbus/ worry and you will despair.